Stretcher



Sept. 24, ANDERSON STRETCHER Filed Aug. 16, 1934 INVENTOR CHARLES NATHANIEL ANDERSON.

ATTORNEY Patented Sept '24, 193

UNITED STATES PAraNT or ies 2 Claims.

This invention relates to stretchers and particularly to flexible stretchers that may be partly folded for use or completely folded or collapsed for storage.

Full length stretchers are sometimes inconvenient or extremely difficult to use under certain circumstances, as, for example, when carrying a subject down or up a stairway or making a sharp turn in a very limited space. On a stairway the necessary inclination of the stretcher would make it very difiicult to carry a subject on a stretcher without said subject slipping oif or in a limited space it may be impossible to make a necessary turn. It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a full length stretcher that may be used either fully extended or that may be partly folded for supporting a subject in a seated or partly recumbent position, or that may be completely folded or collapsed for storage in a small space. It is a further object of my invention to provide a stretcher constructed entirely of a single sheet of canvas or other suitable material and in which transverse reinforcing supports are entirely eliminated. It is a still further object of my invention to provide a stretcher that is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing where- Figure 1 is a plan view of my stretcher. Figure 2 is a side view of'the same folded into a chair-like position. Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view from the under side showing the canvas bed as one continuous piece and forming pockets enclosing the telescoping handle pieces. Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention reference numeral It! indicates the bed of the stretcher, said bed being of canvas or other suitable material. Side portions of the canvas bed are looped and turned under toform longitudinal pockets H along the sides of said bed and the ends of said side portions are sewed to the under side of the bed along dotted lines [2. Within the pockets are handles which are slipped into said pockets through openings l3 adjacent the inner ends thereof, said handles comprising tubular pieces l4 and end pieces l5. The tubular pieces M are adapted to receive, telesubstantially diametrically across the ends of 5 the respective handle to engage said ends and prevent the handles from slipping from the pockets. To remove the handles the respective lips are depressed to move them out of engagement with the respective ends of the handles and said handles are then slipped through the openings B3. The edges 08 of the openings 53 are sewed with a button hole stitch to prevent fraying or raveling.

Adjacent the inner side of each pocket elonl5 gated longitudinally spaced hand openings l9 are provided, one opening for each handle piece, to enable a substantially complete encirclement of the handles by the hands of stretcher-bearers, the edges 2H of said openings I9 also being sewed with a button hole stitch to prevent fraying or raveling thereof.

The stretcher may be used extended horizontal ly as shown in Fig. 1 for supporting a subject full length in a prone position. Stretcher-bearers insert their hands through the openings l9 and grasp the handles for supporting the stretcher and subject in said horizontal extended position.

For use in a shortened or chair-like position as shown in Fig. 2 the handles are telescoped, the end pieces l5 being slidably moved to a position substantially within the pieces It thus permitting a section 2| of the bed to be folded rearwardly, along dotted line 22, Figure 1, to a position behind section 23 of said bed, the end of section 2| extending downwardly to a position shown by heavy dotted line 24 of Fig. 1. A section 25 of the stretcher is adapted to fold downwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, when the handles are telescoped inwardly, along dotted line 26, Fig. 1, and, if folded completely back against the under side of the bed the front edge 21 of section 25 would lie substantially along heavy dotted line 28, Fig. 1. Section 23 of the bed I0, extending between dotted lines 22 and 29 may be raised to a vertically inclined position by folding the stretcher centrally between the inner ends of the handle pieces [4 to provide a back and thereby leave a hori- Zontal seat 30 extending forwardly from said central fold to the front edge thereof formed by the folding down or under of section 25 along dotted line 26.

position, provide adequate support for said subject. The subject, when thus normally seated in the stretcher, may be readily placed in a chair by fitting said stretcher therein, and it will not be necessary to remove the subject from the stretcher. Subsequent removal of the subject from the chair is as easy and simple an operation as placing said subject therein. The advantages to the subject, especially an ill, injured or convalescing subject, are very great as unnecessary movements or efiort are entirely avoided by said subject with an accompanying conservation of strength and energy or avoidance of pain effected.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A stretcher comprising a bed having a plurality of longitudinally spaced side pockets adjacent the edges thereof and hand openings adja- 2,o15,s91 a cent the inner side of said pockets, telescoping handles in said pockets, each of said pockets being provided with an opening adapted to give access thereto for insertion or removal of the handle, and a lip for each pocket opening adapted to normally engage the adjacent end of the respective handle to prevent said handle from slipping from the pocket.

2. A stretcher comprising a bed having a plurality of longitudinally spaced side pockets adjacent the edges thereof, said pockets having openings to provide access thereto, and said bed hav- -ing hand openings adjacent the inner side of said CHARLES NATHANIEL ANDERSON. 

